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Sunday, May 5, 2013

TALL AND SPIKY THINGS

It's the time of the year when tall and spiky blooms appear and the most striking of all are the blooms of the red yucca, Hesperaloe parviflora. 



They look striking en masse but equally so with a backdrop of Mexican feather grass. Their flowers are long lasting and attractive to hummingbirds.



The softleaf yucca, Yucca recurvifolia is also a spring bloomer with pendulous bells of white. It looks its most striking when in flower then retreats to a somewhat untidy appearance until it blooms again in  the fall. Its presence in this spot may be long past its time. We shall see.


This is also the time when Manfreda sileri sends up her 4' bloom stalk from the rosette of speckled, strappy leaves.


Probably not everybody's cup of tea!


Then there are the 4' flower spikes of the Manfreda udulata, 'chocolate chips' This plant was a pass-a-long from a gardening friend who is no longer with us, but whom we remember every time her plant flowers, in our gardens, with these fascinating blooms.

8 comments:

  1. That manfreda's blooms are definitely my cup of tea! I've just planted a couple of them last week. I've crowded my hesperaloe, a yellow one, so no blooms yet although I see them blooming locally. I have a suspicion it won't like transplanting.

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    1. I made some feeble attempt to get my manfredas out of the ground. Their roots run deep. Hesperaloe on the other hand doesn't seem to mind transplanting. Good luck with yours.

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  2. Oh, I love those spidery flowers on the Manfreda. So different.

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  3. Very fascinating plants. I have a few here on the Gulf Coast, but they have never bloomed. Probably a little too wet and humid.

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  4. My 'Chocolate Chips' manfredas from Eleanor are standing tall with bloom spikes too. I hope they'll be in bloom for the Go-Go.

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    1. They last quite a while so I am sure they will.

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  5. Love the tall spiky things, wish mine were blooming like yours.

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  6. The soft-leaf yucca blooms are such a stunning creamy-ivory display! Beautiful with all the color around your pool.

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